To Swallow the Sun&Moon Whole
by byebye-babeh
Summary: The aftermath left Loki with a self-awareness and assure of who he is. His spite towards Odin has only grown over the years. He will do anything to ensure Odin will never his way, but such actions will only be the fuel for deadly alliances and war. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**To Swallow the Sun&Moon Whole**

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong> The events following his chosen exile from Asgard, Loki has become self-assured and aware himself. His playful mischief is beginning to change as he too grows even more comfortable with the idea that he no longer needs a mask to hide his true, malicious self from curious eyes. Though he toys with his the Midgardians, they are but warnings to Odin that he shall _never_ achieve the peace among the realms he foresaw so long ago as long as Loki lives. But to meddle with Odin, Allfather, God of Deceit and Wisdom, and Father of Slaying, will yield its own deadly consequences, opening the realms to war and deadly alliances founded on both truths and lies.

**Rating:** R for violence, naughty language, and adult content. Adult content is not limited to but may include consented and forced sex, extreme violence and gore, incest, and etc...

**Warning:** _Not_ a happy go-lucky redemption story. Character deaths will occur.

**Main Characters: **Loki, Thor Odinson, Odin, Sigyn Njordson, Byleistr Laufeyson, Fárbauti (Laufey's Wife), Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig, and Om the Kitten.

**Special Appearances:** The Avengers and their favorite government babysitters.

**Pairings:** Loki/Sigyn, Thor/Jane, Thor/Sif (one-sided?), Fárbauti/Laufey, Odin/Frigga, Fandral/Darcy (maybe?), Byleistr/Sigyn, and Stark/All Females.

**Setting:** Post-Thor and Captain America

**Special Thanks:** Byebye-babeh and Alterik for referring me to the Book of Jotun for all things Jotun.

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><p><em>FANART by me (Scrimpy)<em>

_scrimpytheshrimp. deviantart . com/art/Here-Kitty-Kitty-252484756_

If you wish to make fanart for the story, we will be posting it here in the first chapter; unless, it is spoiler, in which we will then place it at the end of the chapter of that spoiler.

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><p><strong>AUTHORS' NOTE:<strong> (this is copy and paste from our AOL chat)

_Veguard:_ So, I was talking with BBB about the story, and she was talking to me about how she was sad that she no more muse for her story but had no ideas for a new one yet. And I said maybe we should collaborate a story.

_BBB:_ Of course, I was like, "FUCK YEAH!" But then like, "What about a plot?"

_Vegaurd:_ And I had no idea.

_BBB:_ Neither did I.

_Veguard:_ Then I suggested we just collaborate the story I started writing.

_BBB:_ I, being a fan of the story already, was like thrilled! :D So yeah. Two awesome authors are joining together to make a kick-ass story.

_Veguard:_ Pretty much!

_BBB:_ Oh, updates will be based on the number of favorites, alerts, and reviews-we really love reviews-we receive. The more reviews, the quicker the updates. We love all feedback, both positive and negative. If you see a flaw, point it out! Likewise, if you like something, just take two seconds to put a smiley face for a review! xD

_Veguard:_ You are review whore.

_BBB:_ Damn right!

_Veguard:_ LMAO!

_BBB:_ :D

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><p>"No, Loki," Odin spoke; his voice husky and dry, a mixture of bitterness and sour blood-or was it water in this case? Allfather rested his heavy, regretful, angry, and perhaps somber gaze down to Loki, Laufey's son, no, Odin's son. Still, Loki looked up to him, just as Thor and he had as boys, with those expressive, cunning eyes of a hawk. He, Loki, the one who could read anyone, could not read his father's eyes and find the intended meaning of the words in the dark windows to his soul. That was exactly it; he saw no light in his father's soul to welcome him home to his father's heart. All he saw was stoic man, holding on Thor <em>again<em>, and even with all the wisdom of the nine realms, still unable to comprehend whom that babe he rescued was as a man. The lines along his face were deeper and only made worse by the tight pull of his lips into a small, almost subtle frown.

Always, Odin had been lenient with him, Loki. He could have been banished from this realm many times over if Allfather had pleased. There were many more who would have banished him if they had been king of Asgard. Even the true son of Odin did not understand why his father was so soft on Loki. If Thor had committed such acts, there was no doubt that the arrogant prince might have landed in Midgard much sooner than now. The trickster wondered if Odin's mercy towards him was out of sympathy for his lineage as the son of a monster, to make up for what the Father of Slaying could not understand in his son, or simply to gain favor so he, Loki, would be—or would have been in this case—that loyal dog, pawn, in Odin's game of chest.

The trickster pondered for a few, fleeting moments, as to why he was casted aside to wither away in Asgard until he would pass onto Hel's Keep as an old, grey haired man. Was it because Odin did not understand him that he could not trust his own son—if Odin even still considered Loki a son at this point—or simply because somewhere in his life, he had wronged Odin enough to destroy his duty to Asgard and purpose in life.

Anyway which way, Loki cared not.

He loosened his grip, sliding down the staff.

"Loki, no," Thor rumbled. He did not need to look upon Thor, the crowned prince, the changed, merciful God to hear the desperate plea that came out of the fear love instilled in one's heart.

Allfather, he said nothing, as usual. Whenever he, Loki, did something wrong, Odin simply said nothing. He would have yelled at Thor till the halls of Hostage King Njord shook, but with Loki, he would just look at him with that pained expression on his lips, that confusion wrinkled on his forehead, and simple acceptance that Loki was far too gone to every change; he only could surmise that Odin gave up on him long before now.

Even now, Loki was positive that Odin would let this incident slip by without punishment.

He hated Odin's passive behavior towards him. Up until now, he did not realize how strong that loathing for the aged fool was in his heart.

Loki's large eyes came to a narrow point with a watery haze amplifying the jade hurt on his eyes. His mouth tightened; for once, he felt his silver tongue had no place in this moment. Words could not the bridge cap Odin had created with two simple, basic, and powerful words. The lump inside his chest was cracking his ribs and pressing down on his nauseated stomach. The aches from his white knuckles arched through the nerves along his arms, desperate for release.

Yet, in the moment he felt the blood beginning to drain out of his heart, he was much too aware that he did not want to go back to his "home;" he _never_ wanted to see Asgard after today. His brows came together, causing the first hints of a readable worry to cloud the Allfather's dirty brown eyes. Loki could not escape the chemical, acidic burn feeling eating away at the outside of his heart as he realized Thor did not matter anymore. Well, he would matter, but not as a brother ever again—henceforth where the burning sensation came from within—but as meager, loyal dog to the God of Deceit. He did not want to be the equal of an insignificant dog.

No, he wanted to be Odin's equal.

But oh, he did not want to side with Odin, quite the opposite really.

Like lightening, this new, strange, enlightening sensation left him too acutely aware of the pull of the wormhole had on his skin, the weight of his armor pressing indents onto his unnatural, pale skin, the yanking of his hair, the struggling sounds coming out in groans and moans from Thor, and Odin's steady, calmed breathing. Loki's face relaxed with an acceptance. Oh, the sadness was there simply because those miserable feelings that came from the worse of love, hurt, betrayal, and loathing, still flowed through the veins in his heart like a venom. Stronger yet and growing with each pulse of his heart, was joy.

This was his opportunity to be _free_.

No more would he have to lead a double life of concealing his true, unjust self while portraying to be the must just man.

Loki felt comfortable in his skin, content with the idea that his purpose and greatest love, trickery, could merge beautifully into one fine performance for the realms to all see. Oh God, he could have so much _more_ fun. He would be limitless without the worry of guilt and his self worth in his father's eyes weighing upon his slender body. He was Atlas finally freed from the weight of the world.

With Odin removed from the equation as his father and replaced as his "new" brother meant that being Jotun did not matter because he did not desire the Asgard throne. Let Thor have it. It would be the last high point for Thor to look forward to in his life before he, Loki, would slay him. Of course, being a Jotun was just that much more of a justification for him to let his fingers begin to loosen.

Having only to justify his actions to himself was a wonderful, glorious feeling of freedom and control over his own fate.

Almost immediately his mind fell to Sigyn, the golden haired and sun kissed daughter of the Hostage King. He took in a deep breath, faintly reminded of her sea salt smell in the air as the water beneath them churned below into the cosmos. His heart jumped into his throat and began to merrily skip beating at will. The taste of blood filled his mouth as a scab from inside his cheek came off. She, a fellow Aesir of Thor and Odin, was the one he would have to answer to beside himself. Loki was not worried but nor was he careless to her feelings. The trickster knew her so well, just as she knew him. The fondness of her was a light fuzzy, warm cloud building inside his nauseated stomach to relax his tensing, pounding, and spazzing muscles.

Sigyn, her name rolled as easily off his tongue as it is did in his mind. She was the goddess of loyalty, but that parasitic doubt squirmed at the bottom of his brain. He had no doubt tested her loyalty many times over; hence, where she received the title from the mortals, but this act he was in the process of committing he feared would be enough to prove that loyalty, under the right circumstances, can be broken. A shiver of disgust ran down his spine. Love, once again, kept his fingers curled around the end of the staff. The same criticism he had spat in Thor's face was blown back into Loki's face. Just as love had made Thor weak, it too kept him bound to a place he did not belong nor longed to belong to ever again. For that he was soft.

From his other hand that dangled at his side, he felt the softest squeeze of her delicate fingers. The feel was ghost-like, so faint he knew it to have only come from his mind, specifically his memories. The top of her thumb tracing a circle over the top of his hand was like a feather barely hovering over his skin, sometimes touching his skin. But though the touch was faint, the assurance was real. He laughed inside his mind at his own, silly doubt.

This was Sigyn—the only person who actually understood him! Not just a half-heartedly understood but wholly. He recalled how he could see Allfather's jealousy towards Sigyn's understanding of the son he could not comprehend in his eyes every time the two were in close quarters. Unlike Odin, she found forgiveness for him in his heart because (and this is him assuming) she did understand him.

Well, she would just have to understand one more time and forgive him just once more.

Just one more time he rationalized. Then no more!

Allfather held his gaze, Loki only met Odin's eye to sneer back at the god who was content to throwing his being to the wayside in the golden palace. _Ha!_ He saw too much potential in himself now. At the same time, he felt a bit pitiful that Odin had failed to recognize this. But it would only be the Allfather's loss and Loki's gain.

A strange sadness came over the Allfather; the emotion was a rare one that Loki had only ever seen on the god less than handful of times in his life. He may not have proved himself as the worthy, favorite son, but he was his son nonetheless. Odin's eye could only convey a sliver of grief coming from his mourning heart, but like his words, the grief felt short of ever reaching Loki. Not even then, Odin realized, would Loki even begin consider to that betrayal went two ways. Just as Loki loathed him for his failures, Odin too held contempt for Loki for failing to see the pain that came with losing a son. If anything, pain should have been the one common ground between them.

Loki's hand relaxed. He slipped out of his golden chains.

Thor's primitive, instinctive, pained scream never reached his ears; he was far too focused on the simple acceptance of the situation and his choice in Allfather's eye. Odin blinked his eye away to the shards of the bifrost with an uncomfortable compliance. Passive until the very end. Or was this even the end? Loki doubted this was the end. No, he knew in everything that made up his very being, this was _not_ the end, merely the beginning of something grander. The trickster turned, facing the gaping whole in the cosmos with a confident smile smeared across his face. The faint light from the center reflected brightly in his eyes like a beacon.

Yes, just the beginning of a new, glorious relationship with Allfather.


	2. Chapter 2

**To Swallow the Sun&Moon Whole**

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><p><strong>AUTHORS' NOTE:<strong> (this is copy and pasted from our AOL chat)

_Veguard:_ Well, this was meant to have been out last night, but FF wasn't going to load it last night.

_BBB:_ Bunch of fucking bullshit...

_Vegaurd:_ So maybe we'll have two updates today then to make up?

_BBB:_ Maybe ... ? If I can be persuaded.

_Veguard:_ You mean you want reviews, alerts, and favorites, lol.

_BBB:_ You know me so well already! xD

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><p>Even before they met, Sigyn had been warned that misery and cruelty came with Loki; who at the time was but an adolescent, and she still a young girl. But when they met, all he did was make her laugh and giggle till she begged him to stop for fear she would die from laughing. He was cruel because he didn't stop. By the time her father came to the gardens, her face hurt and was wet with happy tears. As a young girl, she could not understand why people thought him cruel when all he did was make her laugh.<p>

The brims of her eyes watered again but not with tears of joy. They were hot and stung her reddening eyes like beestings. She stood on the bifrost, looking towards the dome that loomed over the edge, seeming to titter and taunt fate again. Before the gateway, a shadow stood; the hint of gold on his person blinded her from seeing his face. Loki clearly saw her. His graceful footsteps were bringing him to closer to her. The ocean breeze pushed the flaps of his tunic towards her. The wind ruffled his loose, ebon' pants. Between the brown and grassy stripes, there was a glint of silver. His leather shoulders with gold trimming squared off his skimpy shoulders and filled out his scrawny, flimsy frame. The trickster's olive sleeves had brown straps over them; the upper arms' were parallel with the ground, while the lower arms were at diagonal weaves. Carefully he pried away the leather gloves and held them in his left hand. His knee-high, gold kneecap embodied boots gently patted against the glassy case that contained the magic inside the bridge.

There was no need for words as Loki stopped. He bowed before her like in the ol' days. Her reflection lingered on his the rim of his dubious, jade eyes. The girl's forehead came to the bottom of his sharp nose. Her face was soft and oval shape, making his inverted triangle-like face as cutless and the daggers hiding in his person. Even with the strife carved across her face and those eyes glaring with hate as bright as Midgard's sun, Loki felt more elated to be in her presence than disappointed or angered by her aggression. While her heart sat in her mind's lap obediently, his fluttered lightly in his chest. There was an almost buzzing sensation that came from the little wings on his heart that sounded too much like a hummingbird. Loki could hardly contain his childish excitement. His fingers twitched to reach out to her and touch those golden locks cascaded around her face, brushed against her bare shoulders, and tickled the small of her back. The loose, shear blue loops came from underneath her breastplate to bind her upper arms to her dress just taunted him to no end. Sigyn pursed her cupid lips at him, looking more like a pouting child than a grown, furious woman. She slid her almond-shaped, honey eyes over him with a mixed array of emotions.

There was the hurt that glistened brighter than shimmering diamonds and growled, "_Go away!_"

The surprise that left her wide eyed and asking in a soft, sharp voice, "_Why are you back?_"

The boiling anger that made the veins in her eyes glow red with a sharp hissing that hot metal made when contacted by ice, "_Loki._"

Behind the veil of these emotions, was the fleeting, elusive relief that muttered, "_You're okay._"

Hiding in the shadows of the black windows to her soul, was that small voice that called out questioningly only because she had been burned too many times before, "_Is this really you?_"

Loki was not surprised by her actions; surprised at her _lack_ of actions, envious and reminded of Odin's passive behavior. He blinked slowly, reguarding her for a moment as a possible foe. Sigyn glared to him with her previous doe eyes beginning to become hot coals. The trickster took in gulp of that fresh, chilly air to cool the flickering embers sitting at the bottom of his lungs. To come back here from his exile was not the part he had dreaded, but he had dreaded facing Sigyn, the one person aside from himself he had to justify his actions and motivations. Loki parted his mouth to speak, but his silver tongue went limp at the instant she turned her head to the side with a sneer about to taint her lips. He breathed painfully slow hot hair from his lungs. The strange mixture of heat came from seemingly two complete opposites: her very presence and being of being close to him once more that stirred the lust inside of him, and her haughty attitude with him that left him wanting to dig his nails into her arms till she bled and shake her till the common sense came back to her heart.

The trickster paused to ponder his next step carefully. Loki wished not to be like as foolish as Thor who thought little of his actions. For him, the god of chaos, having to strategically think out each simple motion was an ironic trait. Thor should have been the cautious one to look before he leaped, not Loki. But then again, it was all fun and games until his own well being came into play. Sigyn was very much part of his well being, a physical embodiment of that self-richeous part of his soul he threw away to the dusty, cob-well filled corners of his mind. Though her very nature seemed on paper to contradict one another and force them apart as enemies, in practice, it was quite the opposite. Ironically funny really. Loki smiled at the harmony they brought to each other in some strange, cosmic comedy. If Sigyn weren't so aloof, he most likely would have chuckled to himself.

But silence was the game they were playing ... for now.

He offered his hand to her, where she placed her nimble fingers on his scratched palm. Loki eagerly curled his fingers around hers with a mischievous smile leaking onto his face. Sigyn swung her hourglass body towards him, naturally taking her place beside him. The trail of her long, pastel blue dress swung naturally with her and enhanced that femininity that rolled off her with every swing of her hips. The sunlight glinted off of her silver chest plate. His lust filled eyes traced the curves of her body, savoring the sand tan straps that wrapped around the waist and headed diagonally down to her hips. From underneath straps was a shear blue fabric that floated downwards to the ground like a feather. The silver scales on her tight leggings vibrated like the ocean waves. To match the rest of her attire, the woman's flat boots clung to her legs; the very front of them were coated in a silver plate with remnants of her father's magic deeply woven into the fine metal.

"What, Prince Loki?" Sigyn chided; the bitterness in her silky voice him faster than Thor's hammer.

He wrapped his arm around hers. With a lift of his foot, Loki led Sigyn down the bridge made of melted bullion. Loki licked his dry lips, tasting the salt from the ocean on them. The sky-traveler matched her quick, furious steps with ease. "Oh, the women of Midgard are nothing but sticks and bones, Lady Sigyn," Loki explained nonchalantly; he hid the thrill in his voice. Not until now, did the trickster feel as if it had been many lifetimes over since he last was blessed with her presence. The electric feel of the pulse from her fingers intwined with his, left him feeling alive in a way he had forgotten on Midgard. "They believe beauty is starving yourself." He fondly glanced her way; a hint of deep admiration lingered there in his eyes for her to see. She looked unimpressed at him, which, to her dismay, made his grin grow infinitely. "Clearly they have never seen you. If they did, they would soon understand true beauty."

She scrunched her button nose as she huffed at his compliment. He did not seemed phase or even surprised by the young woman's reaction, but the feeling of frustration did not fade from his constricting stomach. The little hummingbird in his chest kept pecking his long, sharp break in the soft sport between his rips. Even his hands were beginning tighten at her insolence and his forgetfullness of what they had shared before his exile. Loki studied her, trying to find what might have made her so cold towards him. His lips were taunt on his face. Loki furrowed his brows together in dislike. Perhaps he had been wrong. Maybe Sigyn's loyalty was truly broken. He could not hide the worry and pain that fell over his eyes. Her thumb began to stroke the top of his hand. A nervous, I'm-too-relieved smile was coughed up. Loki felt shame on his part for forgetting. As forgiving as Sigyn could be, her forgiveness did not come without earning. "Is this is how our meeting is to proceed?" he inquired in a tight voice.

The markets were empty. The golden bricks were glittering; for once there was no dust to obscure their beauty. As Asgard was that golden city, the buildings too were made of the rare substance. Every door had intricate designed engraved upon them; many of which relayed the history of the common folk who made their livings in the market. In the ceramic, rich chocolate pots sprouted miniature trees to praise the World Tree. On many of them, little children hung their woodcarvings of the hawk and eagle that watched over them. A select few of the trees had all nine realms represented upon their blooming branches. The ash from their fireplaces blanketed the trees' roots.

"I am angry with you, Prince Loki" Sigyn admitted, trying to keep her voice contained and neutral like a proper lady.

"Tell me something I do not know already," Loki replied curtly. Quickly enough he regretted the words. She stole her hand back from his. Sigyn, still so childish, curled her hands into tiny fists at the sides of her well-rounded hips. He stood erect; head held arrogantly high in her presence. The trickster's unkempt hair was curling at the bottom, seeming to grab desperately onto his shoulders

The goddess was bristly. "If you are to have the tongue of a snake, then leave my dream," she demanded. "I refuse to be treated poorly; even if the accused is only an apparition of my dreams."

A string pulled at the left side of his lips into a sly smirk—a know-it-all smirk in her opinion. "But how do you know this is a dream?" Loki mused too happily. Hesitation ran over Sigyn's lips, leaving them parted. He approached; every step he took, she took backwards. Another strike had been dealt to his heart, but for her, it was the only defense mechanism she had against him at the current moment; her heart, raw and burning on a hot stove, wanted nothing more than him to disappear. She brought her hand to the corner of her eye to wipe away a searing tear.

Never had Sigyn repelled his presence. He caught himself glancing at his skin to reassure himself his skin was still alabaster. The trickster, who had not thought much of his heritage since his exile, found himself floundering inside his fleshy body. He was too acutely aware of how out of place he felt next t Sigyn. Oh yes, he felt alive next to her, but oddly enough, now that he knew he was a Jotun, it somehow felt wrong to be next to an Aesir. He had not felt the feeling when he clashed with Thor. He felt like monster next to a fair maiden; the dragon that kept her locked away in a tower till someone slayed him to free her. Loki flicked his glistening eyes to her. Sigyn turned her head away and shut her eyes from him. Her actions kicked the breath out of him. He looked away to search for the words in the streets.

"Sigyn—"

"It is _Lady_ Sigyn," she corrected.

Loki stared at her, wide-eyed and unbelieving. "I have _never_ called you Lady Sigyn in my life; just as you have never referred to me as Prince Loki until this day," he reminded brutally. The trickster snaked his way to her and placed his slimy hand upon her arm. The fabric was soft to the touch much like her skin. Loki paused, if only to run his thumb over her skin. "I have left you many times and never once were you uncouth with me. You _always_ understood. Why will you not understand this time?"

She was silent.

He sighed into the wind; the wind pushed his hot breath back into his face. "I expect you are familiar with the happenings," Loki stated for the record; his voice was dreary and acidic. The words tasted of tart on his tongue. Like so many times before in her presence, the metal on his chest felt heavy and kept him from breathing properly. If it weren't his breathing, then his words would be heavy on his silver tongue. The trickster longingly looked to her, an Aesir. Wonder swam in his eyes, and his curiosity had him wondering how much she knew. He hesitantly pulled back his hand—a _monster's_ hand. "I brought you a gift," he spoke out of the blue and in a much warmer tone

"Oh?" she played. "What could you give me that you have not already given me?" Sigyn turned to him, arms crossed, button nose scrunched, and her thin brows raised in suspicion. "I hold your wine blossom that never fails to bloom. You gave me two lovely sons, Narfi and Váli, when my father's careless wolf ate my favorite doll. They rest upon the pillows of my bed. I wear—" She lifted her left hand to reveal the intricate bands of burning diamonds woven carefully into a Celtic knot to represent the tree. A different color was placed inside the clear tree to represent the nine realms. Hidden within the trunk of the tree was Loki's clan symbol. "The double ring you gave me for my fifteen birthday." Loki came closer as he felt the warmth in her voice beckon him. "Tied around your waist, kept hidden from the rest of Asgard's eyes, is the toasted gold ring that you swore upon—the oath that as much as you stray, you shall answer to only one woman at the end of Ragnarok. There is not much more you can give me, Prince Loki."

He chuckled like she knew no better—she did. "Yes, I have indeed given you items that have made my own mother jealous of you," Loki countered smoothly. "I have committed acts with dwarves that have made me respectful of a woman." The laughter leaked through her lips. Her bristly attitude melted into water that he wanted to run his hand through. "For you only will I ever return to, she who is _my_ king." Her golden cheeks flushed with cherry hues. The dimples from her smile brought a young look to her already childish appearance. Now she was the one with the hummingbird in her chest, flying backwards and forward, here and there. "You claim there is nothing I can give you since everything I have given you is grand—the finest in all of the World Tree. But ah, I have travelled very far to find a gift no one here in Asgard has." From behind his back, Loki pulled out his pair of leather gloves. With a strike of his hand, the gloves faded into a young, tar-colored kitten that fit snugly in the palm of his hand.

Sigyn covered her astonished mouth. Quickly she outstretched her hand to stroke the kitten. "What creature is this?" she inquired curiously. "I have never laid eyes upon a creature this endearing." Loki passed the young life into her cupped palms. Her happiness was reflected in his eyes with pride that he had managed to once again astound her with an even better gift. A small squeal came from her as the kitten opened his apple green eyes to her.

"This is a cat," he explained. "They come from Midgard. This one is young, a babe called a kitty. I know you have a fondness for broken things, so I took this young orphan and brought him to you. As you have done such a good task of raising our sons, I assume raising another son will be no hassle." With his thumb, Loki lightly stroked the underside of the kitten's supple neck. A charming laugh came from _his_ Sigyn when she heard the kitten's purr. "This one, Om, will need goat's milk for a few more weeks."

"Of course," she complied. "I will only use the most luxurious goat's milk in Asgard."

"I have some on my person," Loki offered. "Allow me to take you back to your room so you may nurse your new son." He placed his arm around her shoulders. The world around her became her bedroom. There was no fancy transition; simply, they had arrived as if they had been there from the very beginning. Sigyn ruffled the beige and tarnished gold sheets as she sat down with her new darling. She watched as Loki casted his eyes around the room, trying to understand the strangeness of the golden walls.

"This is not your room," Loki stated. He placed a hand on the tapestry that hung on the wall; the scenery was one of Njord's ships sailing through the morning waters on a cloudless day. He looked to the large bed and took notice of how smooth the fabric was smooth compared to the rough work of the Vanir. Beside the bed burned a candle on top of the wooden dresser. More gold was trimmed into wood and guided into the Celtic knots of their—her people. He gazed out through the window that was the gateway to the city. Loki froze for a moment as this was all too much to take in. That miserable feeling of nostalgia came pushing him off his feet. "We are in Odin's hall," he added. "Why?" The last bit was desperate.

"I live here," she answered simply. The underlying depression did not escape his ears.

"Since when?" the sky-traveler asked quickly.

The sadness bubbled up from the bottom of her heart to her skin. The glow that she radiated evaporated. Sigyn's heavy eyes fell to Om. "Since Pa's passing," she whispered mournfully.

Loki stood still as the words slowly sank into his skull. "Hostage King Njord," he spoke; though more like asking. "I—" The words flopped off his snake tongue. Sigyn ran a finger along the wet ridges of her eyelids. He came beside her; however, Loki was torn between sitting next to her in a heartbeat or standing before her as a fading friend. She seemed heavier, weighted down to drown. "I did not know." This was his apology, however pathetic. Another tear from her eyes brought him to sit beside her, arm around her shoulder, and his thumb rubbing her warm skin. "When did he pass?"

"Some weeks before the Bifrost was restored," Sigyn spoke in crumbling voice that mirrored her cracked, fuzzy heart."He was a great sorcerer like you. His mastery of the magic made him valuable in repairing the broken bridge. One day he retired early and came home before noon. I helped him to bed; I thought he needed rest and some hearty soup. After his meal, he told me how much I had grown from the shy girl Balder had found in the woods. My pa, he placed a kiss upon my lips before saying he loved me and to not forget. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep." Sigyn leaned into Loki as the memories began to tighten a noose around her neck. She shuddered and began to shake next to him. She wrapped her arms around him for stability. "Pa never woke. He died in my arms some days later, just before the climbing of the sun."

"That would have been around your twenty-second day," he commented.

"You still remember my day?" Sigyn inquired through squeaky, getting-ready-to-sob voice; a bit of happiness was soaking back into her words, softening them up like dough.

"Have I ever?" Loki replied.

"I thought with your absence—"

He shook his head and sighed. "I may not be present here, but that has not kept my mind from wondering to you," the slender Jotun man said. There was small comfort that she too had to have felt that it had been forever and one day since they last saw each other. Like him, she was forgetful of what had been between them. He tightened his hold on her. "I did plan on visiting you on your day, but Lady Potts recognized me when I went to retrieve you a cake. Needless to state, Tony Stark the Ironman with his henchmen and Thor sought to end my peaceful transaction of goods, and in the process, the Hulk squashed your cake. As punishment, I turned him into a frog. None of them knew how to change him back—"

"Except for Thor!" Sigyn interrupted. "He knew how because you placed the very same spell upon him on his day so Sif would be forced to kiss him. This was the gift you gave him." The sullenness on her face altered into laughter and smiles. Loki chuckled in fond memory of that particular prank. There were still a few warm memories in this cold city for him. "Thor was the only Avenger brave enough to kiss the Hulk on the lips."

"How do you know?"

"Thor told us, Allfather and Lady Frigga," she answered. "The whole hall burst with laughter, save from Allfather. He was concerned from Thor's stories by the rapid growth of your magic." Sigyn placed the small kitten on the bed and watched as he pawed and jumped at the ruffles in the sheet. "I must say your magic has grown _much_. Pa would be most impressed by your skills. He always took pleasure in your gift." She took Loki's hand and stood, begging him to follow her motions. "He had a gift for you."

How could he not follow her when gave him _that_ look; the look that the Hostage King said was only for _Loki_.

He followed her out of the room into the open space. In middle of the wall sat a fire that crackled madly. On either side of the fire were matching tapestries of the same scene, each only part of the whole. Underneath the closest tapestry was a rough, Vanir-crafted chest left partially open to expose Sigyn's tailoring. To his right was the open balcony. A stray vine with orange blossoms crawled along the door's frame. To his left, where Sigyn was headed, were two more doors. One obviously led to the corridor, and the other to the dressers that held her belongings. He stepped inside this room. His eyes warmed upped to the sight of the plum flower setting on top of the far table with a bowl of fruit and Aesir papers.

Sigyn returned to him with a bundle wrapped in paper and goat's thread. Her fingers were tightly wound around the bundle, protecting it almost from any evil. "This," she spoke readily. "Pa meant to give this to you on Thor's coronation day. He never received the chance because of the Jotuns invading Allfather's treasure room." She placed it tenderly into his hand. The woman bent down as the small kitten came prancing through Loki's legs to join them. She raced her fingers over his slick fur while Loki unwound the thread. Sigyn's eyes were watching him and that curious cat look on his face.

From underneath the wrappings, Loki pulled out a tiny, glass bottle the side of his thumb's nail. A crude cork kept the milky red substance inside the capsule. A leathery rope was threaded around the top of the bottle so one could wear the trinket as a necklace. He let the bottle swing in the air while watching with transfixed eyes, as the blood became a deeper color when in the presence of life. He tilted his head slightly to the side to get a different perspective of the strange trinket. The god blinked slowly, and his eyes smoldered in intellect and interest. "What is this?" Loki inquired.

"The last drops of blood from Ymir," Sigyn explained. Carefully she untangled Loki's nimble fingers from the leather string and placed the necklace around him. The bottle fell to the middle of his chest, where, if he so chose, no one could see the gift. Small piece of her heart from the absence of her father seemed to have been restored. Though her cheek-aching smile had a bitter pain of the absence her father created, the love that came from the memory of seeing Loki with the same trinket was greater. "Pa received this as a wedding gift from Fárbauti, Laufey's wife. She was a great sorcerer. When Pa went with Skadi to the mountains, she gave him this because he too was a greater sorcerer of his time. Pa—" She looked up to Loki. He caught her tender gaze on his sharp irises. "Felt you should be the next to have this since you are the greatest sorcerer of the present time. Pa thought of you as a son since you are kindred spirits in the art of the unexplained." Again she was beginning to tremble at the knees. Loki lifted a thumb to dry her leaking eyes.

"You are a child," he muttered. Loki wrapped his arms protectively around her. Her chest was shacking from the struggle to contain the sobs coming from her lonely heart. The trickster ran his hand up and down her like he was trying to sooth a baby with an aching tummy. He breathed in her lavender scent. A deep ache from his chest came alive as he tried to force that loneliness out of her. Loki looked outwards to the window, watching as the high sun began to descend rapidly to the ground. A despair look settled on his high cheek and lively eyes. The trickster could not believe their time was ending so quickly when it had just begun what felt like moments ago. He closed his eyes while racking his fingers along her back selfishly. "I will make Thor return to Asgard with another story; one about how I will turn New York City's cars to ice cream."

Sigyn beamed at him through her burning eyes. "I am sure that will be a wonderful laugh," she said. "But, what are cars? And ice cream? The cake you spoke of earlier? What are these foreign creatures?"

He chuckled. Oh much he had forgotten that she loved a good story. In her own right, she was as curious as him; perhaps more so since she had always been in Asgard. "Well," the god mused. "None of those are actually creatures but items. Cake and ice cream are delightful sweets; the first is a bread-like substance and the other flavored, frozen goat's milk. A car is an armor steed but without the steed. Imagine a cart that could pulled itself." Loki was leading her back to her bed, keeping his arm around her for as long as possible. She matched his pace so naturally; even their breaths were in tuned with each other. He found himself slipping back into the ol' steps. "Midgard is home to many a strange artifacts and creatures. They have the most diverse realm. If you are unprepared, you can become easily lost in their complex society."

"They sound very strange," she commented. Sigyn lied down on her bed and pulled Loki next to her. Their forelegs draped over the edge of the bed. "You have always been fond of the strange," the woman stated rhetorically. "You find beauty in the strangest of places."

"You are not so strange," he corrected. Loki rolled on top of her and kept himself braced with his hands on either side of her head. The trickster let his lips graze hers and teasingly pulled away. A strange taste lingered on his lips, a taste she could not place, coffee, but new instantly she loved the taste. Somehow, it seemed to fit Loki. Sigyn curled a hand in his clammy hair. She raised her lips to him, and he responded with a gentle nibble on her lower lip. Sigyn giggled, but she was quickly silenced as he deepened the kiss. Loki hungered for more as her taste filled him. He became aggressive and ravenous as his sharp tongue flicked viciously over hers.

With great balance, Loki took a hand and began to unravel the bindings of her chest piece. With a _click_, the metal split in two. He weaved his fingers underneath the metal to grasp her breast. Massaging her breast brought a moan from her lips. Sigyn's grip tightened as she pulled him closer. Her felt the desperation in her grip and the need on her fingertips. There was a physical ache that ran through them, a desperate need to reignite the intimacy lost with his absence. In its own way, this need was stronger because it would assure Sigyn he was truly real and not some cruel apparition.

From beneath, she moved her legs apart while he moved his inside of hers in a fluid motion. Sigyn slid her hands underneath his clothing. Her fingers ran like fire across his skin and a left a blaze in their trail. She grazed them over his chest and abdomen, their destination lower. "Sigyn," he breathed, half want and despair. She curiously looked to him; the lust shinning off her warm eyes. A bitter pang rang through Loki; half of it was pity for her, and the other half was anger directed towards him. He should have known better... "I'll be back soon to finish this." Loki rolled onto the edge of the bed hunched over.

"No," came a small plea. "P-p-pl-please do not." She sat upwards and wrapped her arms pathetically around her chest. "Make this last longer. I-I-I do not wish to wake, Loki." Sigyn shrunk just as her heart was at his words; an act she did every time when he bid her a temporary farewell. There was an added misery to her quivering lips that he had never seen. "Please," she whispered but to his ears, she might as well have screamed.

"This is _not_ goodbye," Loki reassured. She didn't buy his words. He 'sposed that she no longer trusted his words, just as the rest of the Avengers did. He forced himself off the bed. With a troubled sigh and knowing better, the sky-traveler glanced back at Sigyn. The strife on her face flushed her puffy cheeks red. The guilt sat like a rock in his gut and weighed as much as a Mjollnir on either shoulder. The annoying hummingbird was pecking its way out of his chest with an aggravating and painful determination. "Do not be difficult now, Sigyn," he said with little patience in his voice. "Have patience and wait, and I shall return in due time." He began to walk once again.

She found the floor moving beneath her feet. "Loki!" she shouted in a raw and bleeding voice. Sigyn wrapped her fingers around his forearm. "Listen—"

"No," the trickster cut off harshly. He spitefully shook his arm free of her grasp. He annoyingly eyed her, but she did not back down and shuffle back to her bed. She stood her ground, something different and new. "Listen," Loki said in a more controlled, easier on the ears voice. "I shall return to Asgard. When I do, I shall marry you. So wait, and you shall have me as you have always yearned." His eyes looked to her, sparkling with good intention.

But she knew the path to hell was paved with good intentions.

"I am _not_ a loose harlot, Loki," Sigyn said with spite in her voice. "Most women are married by their fifteenth day. I am seven days older than that and with my eighth soon approaching—"

"I have _always_ made myself clear that we shall be together," he chided nonchalantly.

"When?" she bit back. "In Valhalla? You are _never_ going to return! I am tiring of waiting for you!"

He spun around with gasoline ready to ignite in his blood. "Watch your words," Loki hissed. "You are as insolent as Sif today."

"You would be insolent too if you were trapped here in Asgard as I am," she retorted. Sigyn straightened out the kinks in her back and squared her shoulders. Despite the clear anger in her voice and fire in her eyes, she looked as poised as young lady or possibly his queen. Something snapped inside her; he saw the ripples in her eyes. Loki steadied himself for what was to come, ready for the fight. "As my father's blood mark upon my head ended with his last breath, I became free of that blasphemous accord. Allfather, he knew of my intentions to leave this realm. He offered me two options: lose my citizenship and have liquid gold poured down my throat or become his new daughter."

"_Daughter_?" The word escaped his mouth before he could even register her confession.

"Loki, you know not of anything in Asgard these days." She licked her lip; a nervous habit she had picked up from Loki as a child. It was habit he had long ago broken. "I am acquainted with the conversation between you and Allfather," Sigyn explained. Loki's attention became sharp and focused like a blade. His stare was anything but kind, yet, on the inside, hidden from her sight, he was elated that she knew. Everything they had done in a few moments meant she did not consider him a monster simply because he was Jotun. But all the same she had not expected him to act civil that she knew, but the harsh, bitter glare in his eyes went _too_ far and stung deeply. She took a step back away from his fierce and passionate presence to protect herself. "I-I know of what you are, Loki."

"He told you," Loki growled.

"Allfather had no choice but to tell me," Sigyn continued. He was silent; not lost for words but letting her speak and answer the questions he had running through his head. "I need to clarify and say to you that I have always been aware of why I am here in Asgard. As I was much older than you when Pa marked me as his own kin, I could recall my home and people before Asgard and the Aesir. I had to earn my citizenship to stay in Asgard with Pa. Allfather made known to me that I would be blessed with citizenship if I would speak well on the behalf of the people of Asgard. Pa thought of this pact for my citizenship to be quite simple."

"Odin gives not a gift for free," he commented rhetorically and with malice.

"As Pa and I know as well, Loki," she replied in a small voice. "Neither of us knew the true intentions of Allfather until not long later. I perhaps would not have learned of them myself had I not happened onto their meeting one day. I heard Allfather state that I would be given away to Byleistr, Laufey's second son, as a new bride. In return, Byleistr would solidify a treaty with Asgard; the Jotun would be granted the casket and allowed to rebuild their fallen world if they acknowledged Asgard as the ruling realm. As the Jotun are the only two realms that have not acknowledged Allfather as their reigning king, if Byleistr agreed to the treaty, then Asgard would have absolute power.

"Pa became enraged and claimed he would not sell me, even if by doing so meant peace across all the realms from here until Ragnarok. I came beside Pa, where Pa wrapped me into his arms. Pa told Allfather that as long as he lived that he would not allow Allfather to sell me. Pa threatened Allfather with war if he dare to attempt," she confessed. "Pa condemned Allfather for wanting to treat me as a pawn in his game of power. Pa let slip his tongue that he thought Allfather vile for taking the son of Laufey—" Loki's eyes became large at the knowledge she had known. They swelled with the anger of the tempests that she had not had the honor of telling him. He looked away, snorting. How many other people knew? Did the whole fucking world know but him? He had failed to notice Sigyn had paused to move farther away from him. The hint of fear clung to her very scent. "And filling him with false ambitions of being king when to be king was never his purpose to Allfather to begin.

"Allfather was angered by the statement of Pa. He—" She glanced unsurely to Loki. He stood like statue now; his face was unreadable. "Allfather said he would be able to spare himself of losing another son if I were given to Byleistr. While he might not have taken that son out of pity but for the good of Asgard, Allfather stated he was as much a son to him as his other sons. In other words—"

"I know what he was saying," Loki spat acrimoniously. Suddenly the large room was too small. The air was heavy and hot. He made his way to the balcony, needing to rid himself of the claustrophobia and panic rising inside of him. The trickster placed both his hands on the rail while looking out to the starry horizon. Loki narrowed his eyes into his past while clenching his jaw. How dare Odin just continue to toy with him! Was it not bad enough he wasn't the worthy son? His knuckles were turning death white, the metal was creaking from his godly strength. Sigyn came beside him and placed her hand over his. Her soft touch relaxed him. He closed his eyes, all too aware of the situation. In some sense, Loki felt sympathy for Sigyn. To know of one's fate had to be worse than not knowing—though by no means did he justify the lies Odin had told him over a lifetime. He didn't need to speak to finish the puzzle and see that with Njord's passing, Odin finally had the opportunity to go through with his plan.

The raw wound in his heart from Odin was bleeding at the seams time had tried to sew. A mixture of comfort bubbled from the knowledge that Odin spared him because he was his son, as much as Thor. All the same, an acidic hurt ate away at him that with Sigyn in the picture, his purpose to Asgard was next to none. Again, he found himself compared to another treasure Odin had taken. He slowly blinked as the weight of the words began to sink to his bones. Loki would be in Thor's shadows, just as Odin's two brothers had been in his. His stomach rolled over with disgust at how his father's love worked. The anger inside of him was boiling into the hot air. Bad enough was it that Odin treated him poorly but to treat Sigyn the same? He sighed, but the pressure in his chest continued to mount. Surely at any moment he would burst open from the intensity.

"Go pack your possessions, Sigyn," he commanded. She beamed at him brighter than the sun; suddenly she was lighter than air. Loki felt the warmth she radiated on his skin. Her squeezing of his hand brought a temporary numbness to the pulsing anguish behind his ribs. Her touch could clear his mind and bring a subtle smile to his thin lips. He concluded, her touch had to have magic in it. How else could everything be put so easily into perspective? "Do not forget about Om. He is a small kitten and can be easily lost."

"I shall not," she swore merrily. Sigyn disappeared from his view. Her footsteps were loud and quick and full of excitement. He chuckled as she called out, "Om! Here, kitty kitty."

_To be continued … ?_

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><p><strong>AUTHORS' NOTE:<strong>

_BBB_: Mostly recycled first chapter, but with more emotion!

_Veguard_: Yes! Thank you to BBB for making the improvements! Of course if you have any suggestions yourself, feel free to tell us! We want to make this story as epic as possible!

_BBB_: Exactly! Have wonderful day! Hopefully we'll see ya again this evening if FF works properly with uploading chapters!

_Veguard_: Oh! Before I-er we forget-we're going to play a game with our reviewers! The game is simple. What quote and/theme song do you think fits each chapter? The two of us want a quote/theme song to represent each chapter, but instead of us choosing, you can! From what you all submit, we will choose our favorite quote / song. Then when we update with a new chapter, the previous chapter will be updating with the quote below the title!

_BBB_: As we have two chapter up, that means two different quotes! We will post credit to the person who gave us the lovely quote / song!

_Veguard_: So ready! Set! Go!

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><p><strong>Borrowed Mythology:<strong>

* Not really mythology, but back in ol' days, women were considered beautiful if they had an hourglass body with large curves to them. Greek artists through even the 50's painted women that had curves. To some extent, the bigger the curves were on a woman, particularly the hips, the better she would be at bearing children. To be skinny or thin was considered ugly and sickly. I assume the same ideology would be present in Asgard.

* Sigyn's blue and silver colors are meant to represent her father Njord. As he was God of the seas, I assumed she would dress in more blues and silvers than golds and browns.

* The ash is placed around the trees in the market to represent how Ymir's ashes fed the World Tree.

* According to a scripture in the book of Jotun, Sigyn is the only person to understand Loki and his actions. It is said to understand Loki, you must look at him through Sigyn's eyes.

* Sigyn is the goddess of loyalty and victory. To those who worship the Rokkor (Twilight Gods like the Jotun), she is also the god of forgiveness and the inner child. To pay tribute, she is said to be more childish in her face, ergo her large eyes, button nose, and cupid lips.

* Oh, and in the book, Sigyn is said to like the broken things and repair them.

* Loki gave Sigyn a purple flower when they first met.

* Sigyn bore him two sons, Narfi and Váli. Váli was turned into a wolf and killed Narfi. To tie this in to the story, I had one of Njord's wolves eat Sigyn's doll. Loki gave her two new dolls, Narfi and Váli. As she was still young, she claimed she could be their mother and Loki their father.

* On her fifteenth birthday, Loki proposed and wedded Sigyn with a ring. I twisted this and had him give her a ring without proposing.

* Oh yes, that ring? Loki had to become a woman for a dwarf while the dwarf forged the ring.

* According to some practices of Norse mythology, if a man wore a key on his person, that represented a woman's authority in their life. In the Book of Jotun, a shaman says he pays tribute to Sigyn by wearing one of these rings.

* Loki is a playboy and likes to screw around with other women, but the shamans claim Loki's heart only belongs to one woman, Sigyn.

* Hostage King Njord is indeed a hostage. After the Vanir-Aesir war, he and his blood relatives are to stay in Asgard for the rest of their lives. As Sigyn is adopted, I figure Njord would have placed a blood mark on her to show that she is his kin; however, when he dies, that blood mark would fade. She then would no longer be bound by the treaty.

* Sigyn was adopted by Njord when she was around 5 or 6, but her heritage is never explained. She was said to be very shy as child.

* Njord was a master of witchcraft and fond of Loki in mythology.

* Ymir was the first person and Jotun created in the World Tree. He gave rise to the Vanir and Aesir. The Aesir would later slay him. To punish the Jotun, the Aesir drowned all but two in Ymir's blood.

* Aesir architecture is suppose to be very complicated and organized.

* Njord was married to Skadi, a Jotun, for a brief time. He had to spend 9 nights there before they got a divorce.

* Byleistr is a Jotun, first son to Laufey. Helblindi is thought to be either another son of Laufey or the Jotun name for Odin. Scholars are still debating over it. One of the reasons they believe Helblindi is another name for Odin is because Odin and Loki considered each other blood brothers-not father-son relationship.

* Yes, when the Vanir-Aesir war began, Odin poured gold down a poor Vanir maiden's throat.

* Yes, quite a bit of mythology jammed into one chapter. I am sorry for the overload.

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><p><strong>Borrowed Marvel Information:<strong>

* In the comics, Loki and Sigyn were married; though, it was not a happy relationship.

* In the movie, Thor barges into a pet shop wanting a horse. The clerk, if you remember, says they only have birds, cats, and dogs. Thor demands he gives him one of those that is big enough to ride. I am going to assume then that people in Asgard have no idea about a cat, dog, or bird.

* Oh, Thor didn't know of some of the beverages in Midgard either. I am going to assume that Asgard does not have coffee, cake, ice cream, etc... like we do here. I feel sorry for them...

* In the comics, Loki turned Thor into a frog at one point.

* In another comic, Loki turned several things (people, animals, and items) into ice cream for the fun of it. He may be the God of Evil in the comics, but he is also the God of Mischief. I figure if he's going to evil, he's going to have some fun with it.

* Fárbauti is the wife of Laufey and mother to Loki. It is never stated whether she died in battle or not.

* In the comics, Odin had some other sons by Frigga; however, Frigga did not want them to be killed, so Odin gave them up to other families in Asgard. He was left with only Thor and Loki to raise.

* In the comics, Sigyn is not so shy as she is in mythology. I figure she has out grown her shyness.


End file.
